According to Ukrainian presidential administration head Yermak, Ukraine will begin discussions with the United States next week on security guarantees. The announcement reads below:
“Next week, Ukraine will begin negotiations with the United States of America regarding a bilateral agreement on the provision of security guarantees within the framework of the Joint Declaration on Support for our State. These guarantees will be valid until Ukraine becomes a member of NATO. This was announced by the head of the President’s Office, Andriy Yermak, at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities held in Ivano-Frankivsk.”
Yermak said: “”We are already working on bilateral agreements with each of these partners. And I will make a small announcement: we are starting the relevant negotiations with the United States next week. Security guarantees for Ukraine will be concrete and long-term commitments that will ensure Ukraine’s ability to win now and deter Russian aggression in the future. These will be clearly described formats and mechanisms of support.”
He continued: “Hope and confidence in the future are extremely important for all Ukrainians, who find it extremely difficult in these months of the terrible war. Building a system of documentary guarantees of international support will be a powerful positive signal for domestic businesses and international investors…Neither our society nor international partners will accept corruption and bad management decisions. Non-transparent tenders or demanding bribes for permits scare off investors no less than Russian missiles. The fact that the fight against corruption, the implementation of necessary reforms, the rule of law and the principle of justice are the priorities of the President and the entire team are eloquently evidenced by real actions that our society and the whole world can see.”
Following the earlier July meeting of NATO in Vilnius, with Ukraine as an invitee, the alliance agreed to lay the framework for Ukraine’s eventual membership but did not offer the country an invitation. This was mostly due to the ongoing war with the Russian Federation. These bilateral security guarantees are meant to provide Ukraine with prolonged military and economic support in the long term. It is important to note that these security guarantees will not include the United States or any other NATO partner coming into the war against the Russian Federation. However, a deeper bilateral connection via security guarantees would pave the way for increased military support to Ukraine such as the supply of 4th generation aircraft, naval assets, and other advanced weaponry.
